Leaders set conditions for firms in oil search

Turkana leaders have set conditions for the government and oil exploration companies on how area residents will benefit from the natural resource.

The demands include implementation of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report to cushion against any water pollution, priority to the residents in employment, exercising corporate social responsibility by the oil firms and equality in tendering.

The leaders met on Tuesday with some of the oil exploration companies at Lokichoggio and elected community liaison members to hasten the implementation of the requirements.
Commercial oil deposits have been discovered in the semi-arid county.

The latest discovery is of two aquifers said to hold billions of cubic metres of water.

WATER POLLUTION

The leaders — who included Senator John Munyes, Governor Josephat Nanok, members of Parliament and their counterparts from the County Assembly — asked the government to guarantee security to investors.

They also called for improvement of infrastructure and allocation of adequate funds for general development of the county.

The discovery of oil deposits by Tullow Oil plc has attracted other companies to join the search for the precious resource.

Adamanging and Bowleven Oil and Gas from Britain is set to begin prospecting for oil and gas in Turkana North and Kibish districts.

At the same time, ERHC Energy will hunt for the commodity in Turkana West and Loima districts.

Energy ministry officials, led by Mr Felix Mutunguti and ERHC Energy director in Kenya Peter Thuo, attended the Lokichoggio meeting and promised to work closely with the local community during the oil exploration.

ERHC Energy is to prospect for oil deposits in block 11(A) and will lease with the 19 community liaison members led by its chairman Moses Ekwel during the exercise.

Mr Munyes proposed that the oil exploration companies give 50 per cent of employment opportunities to the local community and that all the EIA reports should be channelled through the governor’s office for scrutiny to avoid the possibility of water pollution.

OFFER SCOLARSHIPS

“Proper mechanisms should be put in place to ensure that the oil exploration does not pollute the aquifers recently discovered in the county,” said Mr Munyes.

He appealed to the oil exploration companies to offer scholarships to Turkana students as part of their corporate social responsibility to enable them pursue further studies and secure employment in the energy sector.

Mr Nanok said the community liaison members would be empowered to decide on where to implement projects funded by the oil companies.

“The job opportunities and tenders should benefit the local community as much as possible,” appealed Mr Nanok.